Black walnut tree named &#34;Beineke 13&#34;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree ( Juglans nigra  L.) which is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate, excellent central stem tendency, and excellent straightness thereby producing good timber qualities. The culture has good resistance to anthracnose leaf disease. This new variety of black walnut trees was discovered by the applicant near South Raub, Tippecanoe County, Ind. in a black walnut planting from previously selected trees for outstanding timber production potential. This selection has been designated as BW510, a seedling progeny of unpatented BW95 in records maintained by the applicant on the performance of this selection, and grafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as Beineke 13.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

Juglans nigra L.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.) was discoveredby the applicant near South Raub, Tippecanoe County, Ind. in a blackwalnut planting of seedling progeny from previously selected trees foroutstanding timber producing potential. This selection has beendesignated as BW510, a seedling progeny of BW95, unpatented, in recordsmaintained by the applicant on the performance of this selection, andgrafts made from the selection and will be known henceforth as ‘Beineke13.’ The male parent is unknown, as is generally the case with blackwalnut trees. (Beineke, 1989)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A new and distinct cultivar of black walnut tree (Juglans nigra L.)which is distinctly characterized by extremely rapid growth rate,excellent strong central stem tendency, and excellent straightness,thereby producing excellent timber qualities, the trait of commercialinterest and good resistance to anthracnose leaf disease. Beineke 13 was9 years old when described at a location near South Raub, Ind.

After the original clone was selected, and assigned an identity numberof BW510 the aforesaid tree was reproduced by collecting scions from itand grafting these onto common black walnut rootstocks at AmericanForestry Technologies, Inc., West Point, Ind. These asexualreproductions ran true to the originally discovered tree and to eachother in all respects.

Color values used were from the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues.However, color is too dependent on weather conditions and fertilizationto be consistent or distinctive. For example, leaves can be made adeeper green by applying nitrogen. Walnut tree leaves turn yellow as theseason progresses, especially if there is a lack of rainfall. As blackwalnut meats dry, they become darker. Simply being on the ground for aweek causes the outer shell to darken. Bark color involves many shadesof gray through brown and black.

Beineke 13 is hardy in USDA zones 4,5,6,7, and 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the timber form of ‘Beineke 13.’

FIG. 2 is a photograph showing the leaves of ‘Beineke 13.’

FIG. 3 is a photograph showing the nuts of ‘Beineke 13.’

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANTS

The botanical details of this new and distinct variety of walnut treeare as follows:

-   Tree:    -   -   Size.—Large, 42 ft. at 11 years; crown diameter of 20 ft.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous.        -   Growth rate.—Very rapid, 40.8% larger in diameter than the            average of Purdue 1 (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,543) grafts,            planted the same year on the same land. Diameter growth rate            (at 4½ feet above the ground) at 11 years was 8.8 inches for            an average growth rate of 0.80 inches per year.        -   Form.—Excellent timber form (form rating). 59% better than            the average of the entire planting. Stem form was obtained            by subjectively rating the straightness of the main stem on            a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 representing a perfectly straight            stem; 2, slight crook or deviation of the central stem (no            crooks); 3, about average straightness; 4, several severe            crooks or a single fork; and 5, a very crooked, forked            and/or leaning central stem. Beineke 13 averages 1 on the 1            to 5 scale.

The trees of the present invention are grown in plantations, not in openfields (not natural stands). In plantations, trees are upright and haveno distinctive or characteristic crown shape because all branches areseeking to grow upwards.

-   Branches: Diameter depends on age and size of tree, varies from ½″    to 12″, bark color varies from grays to browns.-   Leaves:    -   -   Compound leaves.—Size — Large; average length — 22.30″;            width 9.93″.        -   Leaflets.—Size — Large; average length — 5.08″; average            width 2.20″, average number of leaflets — 21.4 — lanceolate;            acutely pointed.        -   Thickness.—thin; Texture — smooth; Margin — serrated;            Petioles — short; Color — Topside — dark green (5GY3/4 by            the Munsell Color Chart for Plant Tissues); Underside —            light green (5GY5/4 on the Munsell Color Chart for Plant            Tissues).        -   Anthracnose resistance.—Good.-   Nut:    -   -   Size.—Large; average length — 1.42″; average diameter in            suture plane — 1.22″; average diameter cheek to cheek —            1.42″.        -   Uniformity of size.—Not much variation.        -   Form.—Somewhat heart-shaped. See FIG. 3.        -   Blossom end.—Pointed.        -   Basal end.—Flat.        -   Thickness of shell.—Thick.        -   Ridges.—Rounded.        -   Color.—Mottled, 5YR3/2 and 2.5YR3/4 by the Munsell Color            Chart for Plant Tissues.-   Flowering habit:    -   -   Age at which trees start producing catkins.—Early, about 3-4            years.        -   Number of catkins produced.—Abundant.        -   Age at which trees start producing pistillate            flowers.—Early, about 4-5 years but the flower number varies            with the age of the tree.        -   Number of pistillate flowers produced by young            trees.—Average.        -   Lateral shoots producing pistillate flowers.—None.        -   Number of pistillate flowers per inflorescence.—2 to 4.-   Flower season: Flowers typically in May in Indiana. There are    probably 1-million pollen per catkin. Female flowers are about 1/16″    long and grow to two “pollen pick up points” which subsequently    break apart. Pollen exists as “dust” which is not feasible to    quantitate.-   Nut crop:    -   -   Bearing.—Biennial.        -   Ripening period.—Average — early October.        -   Evenness of maturity (period between first and last nuts are            ready for harvest).—Even.        -   Quality.—Good.        -   Distribution of nuts on tree.—Throughout.-   Genetic method of identification DNA “fingerprint” for    identification of Beineke 13:

DNA was isolated from the leaves of Beineke 13. For purposes of DNAfingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci from a suite ofmicrosatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) were chosen.Microsatellites sizes were checked against previously publishedstandards and verified by a second independent analysis. The“fingerprint” is the collection of microsatellite allele sizes at eachlocus for “Beineke 13”.

DNA was isolated from the leaves of 4 black walnut trees obtained fromWalter Beineke using CTAB extraction buffer (50 mM TRIS-HCL, pH 8.0, 20mM EDTA, pH 8.0, 0.7 M NaCl, 0.4 M LiCl, 2% SDS, 2% CTAB, nd 1% PVP).After isolation the DNA from each tree was quantified and diluted withnanopure distilled water to a final concentration of 5 ng/microliter.The samples were stored in 96-well plates at −20 degrees C.

For purposes of DNA fingerprinting, eleven highly polymorphic loci froma suite of microsatellites developed by Woeste et al. (2002) werechosen. Amplification of each locus was performed with an MJ ResearchTetrad Thermocycler (Waltham, Mass.) using 10 microliter reactions in96-well plates. The PCR reaction mix contained 2 microliter of theaforementioned black walnut DNA, 5 microliter Sigma Taq ReadyMix (SigmaAldrich, St. Louis, Mo.), 0.4 microliter of a 20 pmol mixture of forwardand reverse fluorescence labeled primer, and 3 microliter PCR gradewater supplied with the Sigma ReadyMix. PCR amplification was for 30cycles of 94 degrees C. for 20 sec, 55 degrees C. for 30 sec, and 72degrees C. for 1 min. All primers were annealed at 55 degrees C. Theproducts were then held at 4 degrees C. until aliquots could be loadedinto 6% Long Ranger (polyacrylamide) denaturing gels (BMA, Rockland,Me.). For each individual 0.5 microliter PCR product was added to 0.75microliter blue dextran and 0.25 microliter of CXR 350 bp LadderStandard (Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, Calif.) in a new96-well plate. The samples were denatured for 2 min at 95 degrees C. andloaded onto a CAL96 96-well laminated membrane comb (The Gel Company,San Francisco, Calif.). Electrophoresis was at 3,000 V, 60 mA, 200Watts, 50 degrees C. for 2 hours using an ABI 377 (Perkin Elmer) with 36cm plates and 0.2 mm spacers. The resulting data was analyzed usingABI's GeneScan 3.1.2 and Genotyper 2.5 (Perkin Elmer). Microsatellitesizes were checked against previously published standards and verifiedby a second independent analysis. The “fingerprint” is the collection ofmicrosatellite allele sizes at each locus for each tree. Locus ForwardReverse WGA6 CCATGAAACTTCATGCGTTG CATCCCAAGCGAAGGTTG WGA24TCCCCCTGAAATCTTCTCCT TTCTCGTGGTGCTTGTTGAG WGA27 AACCCTACAACGCCTTGATGTGCTCAGGCTCCACTTCC WGA32 CTCGGTAAGCCACACCAATT ACGGGCAGTGTATGCATGTA WGA72AAACCACCTAAAACCCTGCA ACCCATCCATGATCTTCCAA WGA89 ACCCATCTTTCACGTGTGTGTGCCTAATTAGCAATTTCCA WGA90 CTTGTAATCGCCCTCTGCTC TACCTGCAACCCGTTACACAWGA97 GGAGAGGAAAGGAATCCAAA TTGAACAAAAGGCCGTTTTC WGA69TTAGTTAGCAAACCCACCCG AGATGCACAGACCAACCCTC WGA76 AGGGCACTCCCTTATGAGGTCAGTCTCATTCCCTTTTTCC WGA82 TGCCGACACTCCTCACTTC CGTGATGTACGACGGCTG

The best interpretation of the current data indicates that theprobability that any other black walnut tree would have the collectionof microsatellite allele sizes listed is estimated to be less than3×10⁻¹⁴.

Sizes (bp) of microsatellites at 11 loci used to fingerprint “Beineke13” (2 alleles at each locus).

Microsatellites used to fingerprint Beineke 13: WGA6 WGA24 WGA27 WGA32142 142 236 238 219 223 189 189 WGA72 WGA89 WGA90 WGA97 147 149 199 199162 162 161 171 WGA69 WGA76 WGA82 172 176 230 234 166 180

DOCUMENTS CITED

Beineke, Walter F. (1989) Twenty years of black walnut geneticimprovement at Purdue University North. J. Appl. For. 6:68-71.

Woeste, K., Burns, R., Rhodes, O., and Michler, C. (2002) Thirtypolymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci from black walnut. Journal ofHeredity. 93:58-60.

1. new and distinct variety of black walnut tree named “Beineke 13”substantially as illustrated and described, which has excellent timberquality, extremely rapid growth rate, and excellent central stemtendency.